Bill Lindley was a fixture around hockey rinks in Guelph after emigrating from England with his family when he was in his twenties.
In 1940, he helped start the Guelph Minor Hockey Association. Many hours were spent talking about the need of such an organization, so it was decided by a group of individuals that it was necessary to put things in place. Bill Lindley was a key member of that group. Glad Mowatt, a Hall of Fame member remembers Lindley this way: “He was very quiet, but very effective. Whenever you needed to form a committee, you always made sure Bill was on it. He was a real driving force for Guelph Minor Hockey.”
Lindley did everything from being a league convenor to coaching. Those were the days before Memorial Gardens was built, so not only would he be behind the bench, he’d also jump onto the ice between periods to help shovel the snow, then flood the ice surface! Lindley even helped in the formation of the Guelph Referee’s Association which has gone on to provide more officials for the NHL than most others combined.
For a young man from England, he sure fell in love with the sport of hockey and in the process, introduced hundreds of young men to his newly inherited game.
Inducted into the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame – Builder category – on June 2, 1999
